Raymond van Barneveld Darts – “Barney” Darts & Accessories at Diplomatgames

Raymond van Barneveld is not just a successful darts player – “Barney” is one of the most important personalities in the history of darts. The Dutchman is a five-time world champion, former world number one, and played a significant role in making darts a mass sport in the Netherlands. Target now refers to him as one of the most successful players in darts history.

His greatest successes span two eras: Van Barneveld was a four-time BDO world champion and crowned himself world champion for a fifth time in 2007 after his move to the PDC. His legendary World Championship final against Phil Taylor remains one of the most famous matches in darts history.

Barney also has a long history with equipment. Throughout his career, he played darts from various manufacturers, including Unicorn, before switching to Target Darts in 2017. Since then, numerous Raymond van Barneveld signature darts and special editions have been created.

At Diplomatgames, you'll find Raymond van Barneveld darts and matching accessories. But which darts does Raymond van Barneveld play, how heavy are Barney's darts, and why is the Dutchman one of the greatest players of all time? Here you'll learn more about his career, playing style, successes, equipment, and the story behind “Barney.”

Raymond van Barneveld at a glance

Name: Raymond van Barneveld
Nickname: Barney
Birthday: April 20, 1967
Birthplace: The Hague, Netherlands
Nationality: Dutch
Throwing hand: Right
Darts equipment supplier: Target Darts
With Target since: 2017
Traditionally known dart weight: approximately 25 grams, although Barney has changed his setup multiple times
World Champion: 5 times
BDO World Champion: 1998, 1999, 2003, and 2005
PDC World Champion: 2007
Former World Number 1: Yes
PDC Titles: 30 after his Players Championship victory in 2024.

Who is Raymond van Barneveld?

Raymond van Barneveld was born on April 20, 1967, in The Hague.

His influence on the development of darts in the Netherlands can hardly be overstated.

Before Barney became a superstar, darts was much smaller in the Netherlands than it is today. His successes – especially his world titles – brought enormous attention to the sport.

Van Barneveld thus became a role model for subsequent Dutch generations.

Without Barney's success, Dutch darts history with stars like Michael van Gerwen, Vincent van der Voort, or later Gian van Veen would likely have unfolded differently.

From Postman to Darts World Champion

Before Raymond van Barneveld became a professional darts player, he worked as a postman.

This makes his career even more extraordinary in retrospect.

For a player who played darts alongside his normal working life became one of the most successful professionals in history.

The decisive breakthrough came in the late 1990s.

In 1998, van Barneveld won the World Championship for the first time.

It was a historic moment:

Barney became the first Dutch darts world champion.

Target explicitly commemorates this first World Championship triumph with its Barney25 series, calling it the beginning of a career that would span more than a quarter of a century.

Raymond van Barneveld becomes five-time World Champion

Barney won his first BDO World Championship title in 1998.

Just one year later, he defended his title.

Further BDO World Championships followed:

2003 and 2005.

This made van Barneveld already a four-time world champion.

But perhaps the most important title of his career was yet to come.

The switch from BDO to PDC

In 2006, Raymond van Barneveld decided to take a significant step.

He switched from the BDO to the PDC.

At that time, the PDC was dominated primarily by one man:

Phil Taylor.

The Power was practically the benchmark.

However, van Barneveld wanted to compete with the best players in the PDC – and a short time later, this would lead to one of the greatest rivalries in darts history.

The legendary 2007 World Championship Final

The PDC World Darts Championship 2007 became the most important tournament in Barney's PDC career.

In the final, he met Phil Taylor.

The match developed into a classic.

After a dramatic course, it went down to the deciding set and finally to the deciding leg.

Van Barneveld held his nerve.

Raymond van Barneveld became PDC World Champion in 2007.

He had now won world titles in both major darts organizations.

His record:

4× BDO World Champion + 1× PDC World Champion = 5 World Titles.

Target thus counts him among only three players who have won five World Championships.

Raymond van Barneveld's greatest successes

Barney's list of titles is immense. His most important successes include:

• 5-time Darts World Champion
• BDO World Champion 1998, 1999, 2003, and 2005
• PDC World Champion 2007
• UK Open Champion 2006 and 2007
• Las Vegas Desert Classic Champion 2007
• Grand Slam of Darts Champion 2012
• Premier League Champion 2014
• former world number 1
• numerous other international tournament victories.

In 2024, Barney also showed that he could still win PDC tournaments decades after his first World Championship triumph.

At the Players Championship 5, he claimed his 30th PDC title. In the final, he clearly defeated Stephen Bunting 8-1.

Barney's legendary nine-darter at the World Championship

Raymond van Barneveld also made history with the perfect leg.

At the 2009 PDC World Championship, he achieved a Nine-Dart Finish.

This made Barney the first player to throw a nine-darter at a PDC World Championship.

Target also emphasizes that he had already played a perfect leg in the Premier League in 2006.

And Barney even managed it again:

At the 2010 World Championship, he threw another nine-darter.

Thus, the perfect game is firmly part of the Raymond van Barneveld legend.

What is Raymond van Barneveld's playing style?

Raymond van Barneveld possesses a calm, fluid, and natural throwing style.

His throw appears almost effortless at first glance.

Barney stands relatively stable at the oche and has a consistent movement with clean acceleration and follow-through.

It is precisely this apparent simplicity that makes his throw interesting for many darts players.

Van Barneveld is not a player with an extremely hectic throwing motion.

His rhythm appears:

calm, controlled, and fluid.

Target explains accordingly that the jointly developed signature darts were specifically tailored to his individual throw.

Which darts does Raymond van Barneveld play?

Raymond van Barneveld has been under contract with Target Darts since 2017.

Since then, numerous signature series have been created.

These include, among others, various:

RVG / RVB Signature Generations
Barney25
Chrono
Black Editions
as well as other premium and special models.

However, when it comes to Barney, caution is advised regarding the question "Which darts is he currently playing?"

Van Barneveld has changed his match setup multiple times throughout his career and also experiments with different barrels and weights. Therefore, not every currently sold RVB model should automatically be referred to as the exact set he uses on stage at every tournament.

What is certain, however, is:

His current equipment supplier is Target. The partnership has existed since 2017.

How many grams does Raymond van Barneveld play?

Raymond van Barneveld is particularly associated with 25-gram darts for large parts of his career.

However, Barney is one of those players who have tried different setups throughout their careers.

Therefore, you will find different information regarding his respective match weight.

For your Diplomatgames category, I would therefore consciously not write:

“Raymond van Barneveld always plays exactly 25 grams.”

Better and factually cleaner is:

Barney is traditionally strongly associated with darts around 25 grams, but has changed his match setup and weight multiple times throughout his career.

This also prevents your category from becoming outdated as soon as he goes on stage with a different setup again.

Raymond van Barneveld and Target Darts

2017 marked a new chapter in Barney's equipment history.

Raymond van Barneveld switched to Target Darts.

Target describes the collaboration as an exclusive partnership in which a dedicated product series was developed together with Barney.

Raymond van Barneveld at Target Darts

Since then, an enormous number of RVB products have been released.

This also makes Raymond van Barneveld interesting for darts collectors.

Because in addition to classic match darts, there are premium editions and models that celebrate certain phases of his career.

Target Barney25 – Homage to the first World Championship title

A particularly interesting example is the Target Barney25 series.

Target developed it together with van Barneveld to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his first World Championship title.

The background is particularly interesting for fans:

In 1998, Barney won his first World Championship title.

This victory made him the first Dutch darts world champion and changed his career – and ultimately also the status of darts in the Netherlands.

The Barney25 series thus combines modern darts engineering with a piece of darts history.

Which dart manufacturers has Raymond van Barneveld played for?

Raymond van Barneveld's career is so long that his equipment has changed multiple times.

Before his time with Target, he played Unicorn darts, among others.

Many older Unicorn Raymond van Barneveld Signature Darts are now of interest to fans and collectors.

In 2017, Barney finally switched to Target, where he still has his own extensive product series. Target explicitly confirms the start of the partnership as 2017.

This allows for two major modern equipment phases to be clearly distinguished:

Unicorn → Target.

In addition, there are other barrels and manufacturer connections from earlier career phases that are interesting for collectors of old Barney darts.

Who are Raymond van Barneveld darts suitable for?

That depends heavily on the respective RVB model.

Unlike a player with only one nearly unchanged signature barrel, Barney now has numerous designs.

Raymond van Barneveld darts can be particularly interesting if you are:

• a fan of Barney,
• looking for a classic professional dart,
• want to compare different grip concepts,
• prefer medium to heavier steel darts,
• want to use Target Swiss Point,
• or are looking for high-quality collector's and signature darts.

Precisely for this reason, it is worth comparing the weight, barrel length, diameter, grip, and balance of the respective model at Diplomatgames.

Why is Raymond van Barneveld called "Barney"?

The nickname is relatively simple to explain.

"Barney" is a shortened form of his surname, van Barneveld.

The nickname later even spawned an entire fan movement:

the "Barney Army".

At major tournaments, Barney shirts and corresponding chants were a regular sight for many years.

This shows the standing van Barneveld has, particularly among Dutch and British darts fans.

Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen

Dutch darts history boasts two outstanding names:

Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen.

Both represent different generations.

Barney paved the way.

Van Gerwen later developed into the dominant Dutch player of the next generation.

Their direct duels therefore often gained special significance.

For Dutch fans, it wasn't just a match between two professionals.

It was often:

Barney versus MVG – old generation versus new generation.

The retirement in 2019 – and Barney's comeback

2019 was supposed to be the end.

Raymond van Barneveld announced his retirement from professional darts.

After the World Championship, he initially withdrew.

But Barney couldn't let go permanently.

He decided to make a comeback and re-entered the PDC Q-School.

In 2021, the return actually happened:

Raymond van Barneveld once again won a PDC Tour Card.

And a few weeks later, he proved that his comeback was serious from a sporting perspective.

He won another Players Championship tournament.

Tournament win at 56 – and again at 56? No: Barney even continued later

Particularly impressive about van Barneveld's later career is his longevity.

In 2024, he won Players Championship 5.

On his way to the title, he defeated Michael Smith, Gary Anderson, and finally Stephen Bunting, among others.

He won the final 8-1.

For Target, it was Barney's 30th PDC title.

Thus, a player whose first World Championship title dates back to 1998 was still winning professional PDC ranking tournaments more than a quarter-century later.

Raymond van Barneveld private life – family

Barney's private life has also been publicly discussed repeatedly throughout his long career.

Van Barneveld is a father and grandfather. His family has always played an important role during his long career.

At the same time, there were also changes and difficult phases in the Dutchman's private life, some of which were intensely covered by British and Dutch tabloid media.

However, for a commercial player profile page at Diplomatgames, I would not unnecessarily elaborate on private relationship details.

For the search intent, the factual information is sufficient:

Raymond van Barneveld is a father and now also a grandfather.

This answers relevant search queries without shifting the category towards a tabloid profile.

What did Raymond van Barneveld do besides darts?

Barney's most important former profession is also one of the most interesting aspects of his biography:

He worked as a postman.

Before prize money, sponsorship deals, and international tournaments defined his life, van Barneveld pursued a normal job.

With his great successes, he was eventually able to pursue darts professionally.

Today, his name is a brand far beyond his active tournament career.

Exhibitions, sponsorship, media appearances, and his extensive product series at Target are all part of the modern Barney world.

Raymond van Barneveld 2026 – a difficult phase

Even the career of a five-time world champion does not consist solely of successes.

In 2026, Barney is going through a difficult sporting phase. Recently, weak results and unusually low averages have been discussed; reports have even addressed the possibility of another break from professional sports.

In August 2026, a decision by the Darts Regulation Authority was added. Van Barneveld received a three-month suspended ban for twelve months, as well as a fine of £3,000, for misconduct at a Players Championship event. Additionally, he was cautioned for a separate incident involving a damaged hotel room. Since the ban is suspended, this does not mean that Barney is automatically excluded from playing for three months at present.

For a permanent Shopify category page, I would either update or remove this section later, as such current news ages much faster than his career and product information.

Raymond van Barneveld – a Dutch darts legend

Raymond van Barneveld's significance cannot be explained by statistics alone.

Of course, five world championship titles are extraordinary.

Of course, his World Championship victory against Phil Taylor, his nine-darters, and his numerous major titles belong to a Hall of Fame career.

But his greatest influence may lie elsewhere.

Barney showed an entire country that a Dutchman could become a darts world champion.

The postman from The Hague became:

Raymond van Barneveld.

Five-time world champion.

Former world number one.

PDC and BDO champion.

And one of the most important figures that European darts has ever produced. Target accordingly counts him among the most successful players in history.

Buy Raymond van Barneveld Darts at Diplomatgames

Do you want to buy Raymond van Barneveld darts or are you looking for a Target RVB Signature model?

At Diplomatgames, you will find various Raymond van Barneveld darts from Target as well as suitable Barney accessories, depending on availability.

The wide selection of different RVB generations makes the series particularly interesting.

Depending on the model, the following differ:

Dart weight, tungsten content, barrel length, diameter, grip structure, coating, and balance.

Therefore, you should not only choose by the name Raymond van Barneveld.

Compare the technical data of the respective barrel with your personal throwing style.

Discover the available Raymond van Barneveld darts at Diplomatgames now and find the Barney setup that best suits your own game.

FAQ – frequently asked questions about Raymond van Barneveld

Which darts does Raymond van Barneveld play with?

Raymond van Barneveld is under contract with Target Darts. Since 2017, Target has been developing its own signature darts together with Barney. Since van Barneveld has changed his match setup several times, not every RVB model sold should automatically be referred to as his currently used stage setup.

How many grams does Raymond van Barneveld play with?

Barney is particularly associated with darts around 25 grams for much of his career. However, he has changed weight and setup several times, which means information on the currently used match dart can vary.

How many times has Raymond van Barneveld been world champion?

Raymond van Barneveld is a five-time world champion. He won four BDO World Championships and the PDC World Darts Championship in 2007. Target counts him as one of only three players with five World Championship titles.

When did Raymond van Barneveld become PDC World Champion?

Barney won the PDC World Championship in 2007. In a legendary final, he triumphed over Phil Taylor.

Why is Raymond van Barneveld called "Barney"?

"Barney" is a short form of his surname van Barneveld. His large fan base became known as the "Barney Army".

What did Raymond van Barneveld do before?

Before becoming a professional darts player, Raymond van Barneveld worked as a postman.

Which manufacturer is Raymond van Barneveld with?

Raymond van Barneveld has been under contract with Target Darts since 2017. Before that, he played for Unicorn, among others.

Is Raymond van Barneveld still active?

Yes, as of August 2026, Barney is still active in professional darts, but is currently in a difficult sporting phase.

Where can you buy Raymond van Barneveld Darts?

You can buy Raymond van Barneveld Darts at Diplomatgames. Depending on availability, you'll find Target RVB Signature Darts and suitable Barney accessories there.